


A Promise

by jotcnprnce



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Avengers Family, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Trailer, Eventual Happy Ending, Fluff, Gay, Hurt Tony Stark, Husbands, M/M, Outer Space, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Pre-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Romance, Sad, Sad with a Happy Ending, Steve Rogers Feels, Stony - Freeform, Stony Feels, Superfamily (Marvel), Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony is stuck in space, steve is stressed, what is tagging
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-02 01:36:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17255159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jotcnprnce/pseuds/jotcnprnce
Summary: The recording shut off, leaving Steve in silence as he stared at the blank screen. Tony was alive. The thought brought peace to him. But it replaced with fear, worry, anxiety. All the feelings that tightened his chest and made him feel like he couldn’t breathe.Tony was alive. But not for long. He had no food or water, and his oxygen was running out. Maybe it was already gone. Steve didn’t know how new the message was. Tony might already be dead.No. No, he’s not. He’s not dead. He’s Tony Stark. He’d figure something out.





	A Promise

_“This thing on?”_ _  
__“Hey, ‘Cap. If you find this recording,  don’t feel bad about this. Part of the journey is the end.”_ _  
__“Just for the record, being adrift in space with zero promise of rescue is more fun than it sounds.”_ _  
__“Food and water ran out… four days ago. Oxygen will run out tomorrow morning. That’ll be it.”_ _  
__“When I drift off, I will dream about you. It’s always you.”_  
  
The recording shut off, leaving Steve in silence as he stared at the blank screen. Tony was alive. The thought brought peace to him. But it replaced with fear, worry, anxiety. All the feelings that tightened his chest and made him feel like he couldn’t breathe.   
Tony was alive. But not for long. He had no food or water, and his oxygen was running out. Maybe it was already gone. Steve didn’t know how new the message was. Tony might already be dead.   
_No. No, he’s not. He’s not dead. He’s Tony Stark. He’d figure something out._   
“Steve?” Natasha’s voice snaps him out of his inner turmoil. He turns to look at her. She smiles. It doesn’t meet her eyes, “What are you thinking?”   
Steve stands up. He pushes all the thoughts out of his mind, except for one. Save Tony. The love of his life is alone in space somewhere, and sitting in an empty room feeling guilty won’t help.   
“We have to find him. Bring him home.” Steve moved past Natasha, running down the hall. She followed.   
“How do we do that?” Natasha asked. Steve walked into the lab, where Bruce was right where Steve needed him to be.   
“Did you hear the message?” Steve questioned. Bruce nodded, fiddling with some trinket he’d been working on.   
“I did. Cap, what are we going to do?” He asked, anxiety riddled all over his face. Steve walked over, setting down the busted Ironman helmet. The only piece he had left of Tony, and the thing that had sent word of his love’s trials.   
“We have to find him.” Steve explained, “Is there any way you can find out where he is?”   
“I can try.” Banner set down the trinket, grabbing the helmet and moving it back and forth in his hands as if he were weighing it. “We don’t know if he sent the helmet off to try to tell someone, or if the ship crashed somewhere and the helmet with it. Maybe there’s some way the helmet connects to where Tony last had it. I can run some tests.”   
Steve nodded. That was the best Bruce could do, given the circumstances, “Okay. What do you need from us?”   
“Nothing. Just… if things go our way, be ready for a rescue mission.” Bruce was already moving around the lab, turning machines on and tapping things on the screen.   
“We’ll leave you to it.” Steve nodded, a gesture of thanks, and left the room. As he walked down the hall of the compound, a hall Tony had designed, he finally let himself breathe.   
Tony could be alive. He could be out there somewhere, fighting to get back home. And maybe, just maybe, Steve would get to see him again. He could get to look into those brown eyes, the ones that almost always lit up with joy when they saw him. He’d see Tony’s signature smirk, his silky voice as he spun one of his familiar tales about the grand thing that life was. Steve could see Tony again. And he could finally get the chance to apologize for Germany. For what happened with Bucky, for everything. And he could beg for forgiveness that he didn’t deserve.   
Before he knew it, he was outside. Steve took a deep breath, inhaling the chilly morning air until it hurt, and then exhaling it all at once.   
Three weeks. It had been three weeks since Thanos wiped out half the planet. And each day, as no new leads came, as there was no glimmer of hope, Steve felt himself give up more and more. Each day that passed turn a bit of him to stone as reality set in. And he was scared that not much longer and he would’ve been completely frozen. No hope, and no chance of changing what had happened.   
But now? He had the chance to save Tony. To bring back the only chance this World has. And it made him feel so hopeful that he was sure he would explode. It was like getting a breath of fresh air after breathing in smog for years. And he knew, he could feel it in his very soul.   
Thanos was going to lose this time. He didn’t stand a chance. Not if Tony and Steve were fighting side by side.   
  
-  
  
_“Are you sure this will work?”_ _  
__Tony looked away from the helmet in his hands, turning his gaze to Nebula, “What other chance do I have? I can’t go without telling him goodbye.”_ _  
__This was the only option Tony had. He could feel it in his bones. He was dying, with nothing but an empty spaceship and a girl from space. And he missed Steve. God, more than he ever had. He wouldn’t even get to say goodbye, or that he loves him, nothing. He was going to die in space, and he accepted that, but he had to give Steve some sort of peace of mind._ _  
___“Okay,” Nebula nodded, “Put it in the capsule.”

_At first, they had searched for a way out. They knew the ship wouldn’t last long, and they needed an escape. But they’d both just lost everyone, and they weren’t as into their search as they should be. So when Tony found an escape pod, he didn’t let himself hope. And when he realized it was only big enough for maybe his torso, there was little disappointment._ _  
__He was going to die on this ship. But at least he had a chance to say goodbye._ _  
__Tony put the helmet in the pod, kissing his pointer and middle finger before resting them on the armor for a second. Then, he pulled his hand away and took a step back._ _  
__“Okay,” He murmured. He looked at Nebula, “You sure you don’t want to put anything in there, kid?”_ _  
__“I have no one to say goodbye to.” Nebula replied, before slamming the capsule shut and typing in the coordinates._ _  
__For a second, nothing happened. And a pang of fear hit Tony in the chest. What if it didn’t work? What if he didn’t get to say goodbye and he died without anyone hearing the last thing he had to say?_ _  
__But then, it rattled for a second before shooting out of the ship, speeding towards Earth. And Tony let himself breath a sigh of relief. One of the last breaths he’d take._ _  
__“Thank you.” Tony patted Nebula’s shoulder, not taking his eyes off the racing vessel until it was out of sight. Nebula went back to Gamora’s room, where she almost always was, and Tony went back to the pilot’s seat. Might as well go out with an amazing view._ _  
__He sat down, leaning back and looking at the stars. He fiddled with the ring on his right hand, something that had been a habit since he’d boarded this ship and come face to face with his imminent death. If nothing else, this time had opened his mind._ _  
__He wasn’t angry at Steve anymore. He’d lost too much to keep that anger. Steve had fucked up, he knew that much. But Tony had made big mistakes, too. And Steve thought he was doing what was right._ _  
__So, he’d stopped being angry. He let go of his grudges and pissed off thoughts, and he thought about the fact that he was happy with Steve. More than he had been with anyone else. And he missed that. He missed waking up to tired blue eyes and messy blonde hair. He missed Steve nagging him to take breaks from work and eat or sleep. But most of all, he missed being loved so completely by someone. No one had ever done that before. But somehow, Steve managed._ _  
__Maybe it was the lack of oxygen. Or the severity of how much Tony missed that self-righteous idiot, but he swore he could_ ** _smell_** _Steve. It was a familiar smell, one that made his body relax and his eyelids flutter closed._ _  
__If he died right now, he’d be grateful for how he went._ _  
_  
-  
  
It took Steve less than four hours to completely freak out about Tony’s rescue mission. The words oxygen will run out tomorrow morning sent fear down his spine and took years off his life. Time was running out. And he didn’t know if he would make it in time.   
He’d kept himself from bombarding Banner every five minutes with questions of how far he’d gotten, at least. Instead, he put all his pent up feelings into training. At this point, he’d broken open 8 punching bags.  
Steve rubbed his nose against his forearm. Then he raised his fists and slammed them into the punching bag. He grunted with each impact, images of Tony alone in space gasping for air fueling his intensity. The chain holding the bag up was giving a warning squeal. The punching bag skidded across the floor, spraying grains of sand everywhere.   
He sighed, taking a second to catch his breath. He carded his fingers through his hair, then down to scratch his beard.   
He shook his head, before bending down to grab another one, muttering about how he’d clean up later. As he hung up his next victim, Steve thought back on his relationship with Tony throughout the years. They’d hated each other at first. But now Steve knew that that was just untrue stereotypes and the effect of Howard Stark.   
He remembered the first time they’d kissed. It was after the battle in New York, after Tony had fallen from the sky. Steve had thought that Tony was dead, and his entire body was filled with a heavy feeling of regret. He’d never be able to tell Tony that he thought he was amazing. Or that Tony was a hero. And he’d never be able to tell Tony how he felt. But then Tony opened his eyes and Steve was so relieved that he bent down and kissed him. Right there, on a broken street in New York.  
Steve huffed a little,  then sent his fists into the punching bag.   
_Punch._ Tony and Steve having a picnic on top of the Avengers tower.   
_Punch._ Steve pulling Tony close and slow dancing in the kitchen in the middle of making dinner.   
_Punch._ Steve sitting alone on the couch after a fight. Tony walks in and sits next to him. It only takes a look before they’re falling into each other’s arms.   
_Punch_. Tony having a nightmare and waking up in a cold sweat. Steve holding him close until he falls back asleep.   
_Punch._ Tony watching his parents, killed by a man three feet away from him. Steve and Tony fight. Steve breaks his arc reactor, and leaves Tony laying on the cold ground.   
_Punch. Punch._ ** _Punch._**  
The bag flies into the wall, exploding open and shooting sand all over the room. Steve lets out a choked sob, falling to his knees and covering his face with his hands.   
“This is my fault, this is my fault.” He gasps, tears running down his cheeks, “I should’ve been here for him.”   
Steve bent over, pressing his forehead against the ground, his entire body shaking.   
Tony was alone in space, with no food, water, or air.   
The most amazing man to have ever lived was suffering, and Steve couldn’t do anything about it. It was agonizing. Like fire ripping through him.   
“Steve?”   
Steve sat up, wiping his eyes and taking a deep breath. He didn’t look at Natasha, “Yeah?”   
Her voice was soft, as if she were scared Steve would break if she spoke too harshly, “Banner thinks he’s got a location.”   
Steve instantly stood up, turning to her, “Oh my god. Really?”   
Natasha nodded, “He used the helmet to-”   
Steve didn’t wait for her to finish, just took off towards the lab. He burst in, chest heaving.   
“Where is he? Do you know if he’s okay?”   
Banner shook his head, “I don’t know if he’s okay, Cap. All I know is where the ship is.”   
“Well, where is it?” Steve asked.   
“It hasn’t moved much for awhile. It’s just barely reached Pluto.” Banner explained, pointing at something on a screen. Steve walked over. One quick glance at the screen revealed that it was an image of space, probably from a satellite. There was a ship, one small, dark ship. It was hovering by the planet that must be Pluto. 

_ Tony. Tony’s on that ship _ . 

“Great. Then, what are we waiting for? Let’s go.” Steve told them. 

-

_ Tony could barely keep his eyes open. His lungs were screaming and his head felt light and he just wanted to  _ **_sleep_ ** _. And he knew there was no chance of him being rescued. He’d already given up forever ago. So he wandered to an empty room, Quill’s, he assumed, and laid down on the bed.  _

_ There were stars in his vision, a twisted, beautiful reminder that this was the end. He’d had a good life, he thought. Maybe he even did enough good to cancel out some of the bad. And he’d had spectacular people.  _

_ Steve, the love of his life. The person that made him crazy with everything but the only one Tony ever wanted to fall asleep with every night.  _

_ And Peter, god Tony loved that kid. Maybe he’d even see him when he died. That would be a blessing he didn’t deserve. He was so brave, and so hopeful. Willing to do anything to save people. And he looked up to Tony, even though he was as fucked up as someone could be. But somehow, he did enough good to be a mentor of an amazing kid. Until he got him killed.  _

_ Sighing, Tony rubbed his eyes. He kept them closed. He could feel the air thinning with every breath he took. This was it. Just a minute or two, and then it was over. Light’s out. Part of him felt guilty over this, because he hadn’t gone out being the hero like he was supposed to. The villain had won, and he hadn’t died fighting him. Instead, he was suffocating in space.  _

_ But he was too tired to care. In too much pain. Every joint and bone ached, and Tony knew his time was up. And he was okay with that. Because the world could go on without Ironman.  _

_ With that thought in his mind, he allowed himself to fall into a dreamless sleep. He was exhausted, and dying in your sleep probably felt better than gasping for air until your body gave up.  _

_ What happened next happened in flashes. Or, at least, Tony’s memories seemed to believe.  _

_ He heard voices. They all sounded familiar, but one of them made his heart ache. And he found himself wanting to push all the tiredness out of his body and go to the voice. But he didn’t. He couldn’t.  _

_ He felt something go over his face, and suddenly his lungs were filled with oxygen. It felt amazing, and he coughed as his body tried to adjust.  _

_ Tony was lifted from the bed and pulled into someone’s arms. He couldn’t put a face to it, but that same ache filled his chest.  _

_ He saw Nebula walking behind whoever was carrying him. He felt relieved. She was okay. Another person didn’t have to suffer.  _

_ He was in a ship. Not the same one he had been in before, a different one. A newer one. It looked like one of his.  _

_ Out of one of the windows he saw Earth. He was going home.  _

_ He didn’t remember what happened next, his body fell unconscious as it tried to work through all the things that had just happened.  _

-

The mission had been a success, but barely. They’d gotten to Tony when he was literally on his deathbed, inches from losing his life. Steve had never been so stressed and so relieved at the same time. And they’d saved someone else, a girl from space. 

Her name was Nebula, and Rocket seemed to know her. Steve would learn more about that later. Right now he was focused on making sure Tony was okay. 

And as he sat next to him in the infirmary, he still wasn’t sure he was. Tony looked so pale, and he’d been asleep for so long. Plus, Steve wasn’t sure how long it’d been since he’d had food or water and with each second that ticked by, he got more and more worried. 

But Tony was here. And the machines said he was alive, so Steve wasn’t super anxious. As long as he stayed and made sure everything was okay, it would be fine. Soon, Tony would wake up, and they would talk. It would all be okay.

That’s what he kept telling himself so he didn’t scream. Or cry.

Steve sighed, resting his face in his hands. He’d almost lost him. He’d almost had to bury Tony instead of sit next to an unconscious him. He was so close having to mourn instead of worry. And that scared him. He’d always hoped that Tony would just fix the ship. Steve knew he knew how. But he didn’t. He just laid down and waited for death to come. 

That wasn’t the Tony he knew. The Tony he knew never gave up, especially during hard times. So how did the Tony Stark, the world’s greatest hero, just give up? How did he sit in that ship and accept that he would die there. 

It killed Steve, not knowing the answers to his questions. But he didn’t think he’d be able to ask them. He didn’t think he could handle the answer. 

He was terrified. 

Steve looked up at Tony, lying peacefully in that bed, and he frowned. 

“How the hell did we end up here?” He whispered, “When I first came out of the ice, I didn’t know what to expect from this new world. But this? This is worse than anything I could have ever imagined.

“I-” He shook his head, a lump forming in his throat, “God, I almost lost you. More than once. And every time, I’ve regretted everything I’ve done to you. You deserve better than me, but I couldn’t stand to see you with someone else. You’re my everything, Tony. And I’m sorry I couldn’t treat you how you deserve.” 

Steve swallowed. It was easier to talk to him when he wasn’t listening, but the words still hurt, “I promise I’ll be better, if you give me another chance. I know I don’t deserve it, I know. But I’m nothing without you. I’m nothing.” 

He let out a choked sob, his emotions getting the best of him, and ducked his head as he cried. Maybe it would be better if he just disappeared. If he was gone before Tony woke up so he didn’t have the chance of getting hurt because of Steve again. He had to admit, the idea was tempting. 

-

_ “-But I’m nothing without you. I’m nothing.”  _

_ Tony listened to Steve’s rant about how he deserved better, and he couldn’t help but roll his eyes. The guy was great, but he could be so dumb sometimes. It took everything in Tony not to open his eyes and shake some sense into him. But no, he let him finish. And only when he heard Steve crying did he make himself known.  _

_ “Jesus, Cap. I’m gone for a couple weeks and you fall apart.”  _

_ He opened his eyes, squinting a bit at the brightness of the room, before turning to look at the sad blonde man. Steve was staring at him, shock on his face and tears wetting his cheeks.  _

_ “Tony, you’re awake!” He exclaimed, instantly breaking into a grin. Tony missed this. He missed seeing Steve happy. He missed seeing Steve at all. He smiled, reaching over and touching Steve’s cheek. He wiped away the tears, not oblivious to how badly his hand was shaking.  _

_ “Hey, handsome.” He murmured, letting his hand rest back down on the bed. Steve chuckled lightly, sniffing and wiping his face on his sleeve.  _

_ He looked back at Tony, “I’m sorry, Tony. For everything. You have no idea-” _

_ “Let me stop you right there.” Tony cut him off, “I forgave you forever ago. And of course I’m going to give you another chance. I probably do deserve better, because I’m amazing, but you treat me pretty well when you’re not being a dumbass. So I’d love to be with you again.”  _

_ Steve smiled, a smile full of awe, disbelief, and glee. “Really?” He asked, sitting up straight and grabbing Tony’s hand.  _

_ “Yes, really.” Tony smiled.  _

_ Steve chuckled, one they both knew was made of love and happiness and peace. Then he leaned over and kissed the man in the bed. It was a soft kiss, one that represented a promise.  _

_ A promise that it would be different this time. That they’d stay together, and tell each other everything. They’d protect each other and fight side by side. And at the end of the day, they’d be there for each other. It was a promise of love, of never-ending admiration and a lifetime to make it up to each other.  _

_ It was a promise that, this time, Tony wouldn’t be alone. Ever.  _

_ And Tony kissed back eagerly.  _

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed! This took a long time to write and it's currently 2 a.m. so I have no idea how good this is. And I didn't check it before posting so I apologize for any mistakes. Anyways, Steve and Tony need to make up in Endgame or I'll die. Again, thank you for reading, and I hope you'll check out more of my work! Love y'all!! xoxo


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